Eco Vessel Review {Green Resolutions Spotlight}

by Mama Chocolate on January 20, 2012

As more information comes to light about the dangers of plastics, BPA and nasty things “leaching” into our food and drink via products once considered perfectly safe, I am starting to feel a little paranoid!
I’m not one to usually worry too much about these things, but it doesn’t take much research on possible effects of BPA to freak anyone out.

“…It’s not pretty. According to Scientific American, BPA is essentially a synthetic hormone, acting much like estrogen, so it’s possibly affecting our bodies in a myriad of ways.

The first is breast cancer. According to a new article just out in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (and also released from The Breast Cancer Fund), there is evidence that suggests a link between increasing instances of breast cancer and BPA, especially when women are exposed to BPA at a younger age.

Their advice is that women who are pregnant or nursing limit or eliminate their exposure to BPA. Children especially are susceptible to the adverse health effects of BPA, since their brains and bodies are still developing.

BPA has also been shown to decrease sperm count in lab studies, as well as impact testes development. And in this article published in TIME, BPA might also be causing diabetes, aggressiveness, heart disease, and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy in cancer patients.”

Scary stuff. Definitely something to avoid!

What can you do?

Start by doing your research. Find out more about which products may contain BPA. You may be surprised to find that it is found (at varying levels,) in nearly all commercially canned foods. Of course, they are all below the government “safety standard” but we all know how those standards can change. The dangerous effects of BPA are enough to make me want to keep away from it at any level!

Eco Vessel is one company out there that is dedicated to developing products from BPA-free, safe, sturdy, and sustainable materials while offering innovation and practicality. They provide options for both children and adults with all of these in mind.
You can feel secure knowing that Eco Vessel’s 100% recyclable, BPA Free products are made of high quality, non-leaching materials and are designed for your safety, ease of use and convenience. Using plastic water bottles is expensive, wasteful and unnecessary.

I was sent the stainless steel Insulated Sippy ($17.95) to review. We are loving it! Besides the peace of mind it brings knowing that it is free of harmful chemicals, it is cute, easy even for little hands to use, and easy to clean!

Water, milk or juice will stay cold for hours. I love this, because our girls usually drink raw goats’ milk, which sours more quickly than pasteurized milk. It needs to be handled more carefully because, well…it’s not pasteurized, and more likely to grow harmful bacteria if left at room temperature for too long. (It also has a lot of good bacteria that pasteurized milk doesn’t have, which is part of why we drink it, but I won’t go into all that now.)

“The Insulated Sippy is made with two layers of vacuum sealed #304 food grade stainless steel – no BPA, no phthalates, no liner. The bottle has only a few parts, with an integrated handle and neck that accommodates a ring and Avent spout. We’ve done our best to offer a simple, yet colorful sippy that will not leak with ordinary use and will make your hectic life easier.” (description from the Eco Vessel site)

We were also given the opportunity to try out Eco Vessel’s handy Gobble n Go stainless steel snack cup! ($14.95)

Featuring a removable food grade silicone top, the Gobble n Go also contains no BPA, no phthalates, and no chemicals.

“The soft top has slits for small fingers to easily reach in for crackers, cereal, or just about any snack without worrying about spills. Take the top off and it becomes a bowl for pudding, pasta, ice cream, etc. Easy to clean two piece design with an attached easy to hold handle.”(description from the Eco Vessel site)

Both products are best cared for by hand-washing in warm, soapy water. Dishwashers and harsh chemical cleaners could possibly damage the naturally protective finish of the stainless steel. If you feel you need a more thorough cleaning, Eco Vessel recommends using diluted vinegar or baking soda with water.

Our Gobble n Go has become the designated cheddar bunny receptacle and is highly sought after (and fought over) by our two girls.

It doesn’t spill, it’s cute and I love the generous size! We have a couple cheapo snack cups that are tiny. They don’t hold enough for long car trips, especially if the girls are sharing. The Gobble n Go holds plenty and more!

The silicone top also looks like it’ll last a lot longer than the other snack cups we have. It is sturdy and thick, but still soft enough to reach in easily.

Eco Vessel recommends using it as a bowl also, but before I’d even given this a try, Katie told me she wanted her cereal in it, (clever kid!)

It worked great and was especially easy for her to use as she was able to hang onto the handles to keep it from sliding around while she scooped. Besides what girly little 2 year old isn’t going to think it’s awesome to have a pink bowl with little “friends” on it!

You can purchase these and more quality, earth-friendly products from EcoVessel.com. Also, visit them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date!

Eco Vessel is also offering one of each of these to one lucky Mama Chocolate reader during the Green Resolutions event going on now!

Head on over to the giveaway post to enter to win a stainless steel Insulated Sippy and Gobble n Go in your choice of color, and over $100 of other eco-friendly prizes!